Journal-box mechanism



Feb. 26, 1929.

. F. R. CAMPBELL JOURNAL BOX MEGHANISI 3 Sheets-Sheet Original Fi .led April 1'7, 1923 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 26,1929.

F. R. CAMPBELL JOURNAL BOX MECHANISM- Original Filed April 17, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JAM/c 4 F. R. CAMPBELL JOURNAL BOX MECHANISM Original Filed April 1'7, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet v IIINVENTOR 7 a 6 6 A TTORNE Y Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,703,293 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK R. CAMPBELL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO NATIONAL MALLEABLE AND STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

A CORPORATION or 01110.

JOURNAL-BOX MECHANISM.

I Application filed Apri117, 1923, Serial No. 632,603. Renewed February 1, 1928.

Fig. 1 is a section of a journal box embodying m invention, with the lid in closed position; F ig. 2 is a section similar to Fig. 1 but with the lid in half open position; and Fig. 3 is a section similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but with the lid in full open position.

My invention relates to journal boxes of the type shown in the Buckius Patent 1,099,964 and comprises an improved structure in which the lid mechanism has been made to conform to and operate with a hinge lug of the character made standard by the American Railway Association. To this end my improved structure is equipped with a lever having a floating pivot which is designed to operate with the A. R. A. standard hinge lug without loss in efl'ectlveness. My invention also comprises the various features which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, 2 represents the journal box having a hinge lug 3 of standard A. R. A. design, to which the lid 4 is secured by the hinge pin 5. On the inside of the lid 4 is a bearing 6 for a coil spring 7 the upper end of which bears against the lower arm 8 of the bell crank lever 9. The lever 9 preferably has integral trunnions 10 which seat in the elongated sockets 11 on the inside of the lid. The upper arm 12 of the lever 9 terminates in an elongated cam face 13. The face 13 of the lever is preferably concave and, bears against the downward projection 14 of the hinge lug 3, which lies within the mouth of the box. The heel 15 of the face 13 of the lever is arranged at a slight angle thereto so as to prevent the lower end of the bearing face 13 from slipping past the projection 14 on the hinge lug 3, duringoperating movements or when the lid is closed. On the forward face of the lug 3 is a notch or recess 16 for reception of a flange 17 on the lid which extends around the margin of the lid.

When the lid is closed, as is shown in Fig. 1, the trunnions 10 of the bell crank lever 9 seat near the lower extremity of the elongated sockets 11 and the bell crank lever 9 bears at its heel .15 against the lower end of the projection 14 of the hinge lug 3. As the lid is opened from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2, the heel 15 of the lever face 13 merely rotates about the projection 14 and meanwhile the lever trunnions 10 slide up in the sockets 11 on the lid,41until they reach the upper end of the sockets 11. As the lid is opened further past the point of greatest compression of the spring 7, from which the spring 7 will again expand, the face 13 of the lever 9 slides along the projection 14 until, when the full open position is reached as is shown in Fig. 3, the stop 18 on the upper edge of the lid 4 has come into contact with the shoulder 19 to the rear of the top side of the hinge lug, which stops the further opening of the lid 4, in which position the face 13 of the lever 9 is still in engagement with the projection 14.

The improvements which I have described enable me to utilize the effective lid operating mechanisnr of the Buckius Patent 1,099,964 with journal boxes conforming to the A. R. A. standards, which not only provide for a hinge lug of fixed contour but also that the lid shall completely close the mouth of the box. By using a floating pivot my improved lever is kept of a size suitable for use with the standard box and, inasmuch as the lever 9 has been made to bear only at a single point 14 within the mouth of the box, I am enabled to dispense with the extended bearing surfaces on the lug of the Buckius patent and provide. a lid which completely and tightly closes the mouth of the box. Boxes constructed in accordance with my invention are extremely effective in action and provide a lid which is held positively and tightly closed, regardless of the Wear to which the lid and the meeting faces of the box may be subjected.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description andnot of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described,

or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is: r 1. A journal box having a hinged lid, a lever having a floating pivotal engagement with the lid, and a spring between lid and lever holding the lever in contact with a portion of the box inside of its mouth.

2. A journal box having a hinge lug, a lid pivoted to the hinge lug, operating mechanisin between the lid and the hinge lug comprising a spring pressed lever, said lever being arranged to pivot about the hinge lug and slide relative to the lid in one are of movement and to pivot on the lid and slide along the hinge lug in another are of movement, said movements of the lever being efi'eeted While the lid is moving through a single are of movement.

3. A journal box having a hinge lug, a lid pivoted to the hinge lug, operating mechanism between the lid and the hinge lug comprising a spring pressed lever, said lever FRANK n. CAMPBELL. 

